McLaren have been the most improved outfit in recent Formula 1 history after an astonishing development drive for the past two seasons.
They’ve stunned their rivals Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes with their ability to upgrade and add performance to their car, which despite some ‘concern’ from Zak Brown, has put them into a position to end a 16-year title drought.
It has even handed Lando Norris the opportunity to fight for his first world championship, and Oscar Piastri his first win in the sport – marking an emphatic turnaround.
For over a decade, they were a midfield, and sometimes even backmarker team, forgetting what it was like to step onto the podium, but that poses some problems in itself.
Marc Priestley says McLaren still ‘learning to win’ again
Winning in sports is about showing up in clutch moments. In Formula 1 that translates to big overtakes and good strategy calls.
While McLaren have impressively developed the best car on the grid, they have been slowly wiping some of the cobwebs off from an operational standpoint.
Poor decisions from McLaren strategists at both the Canadian Grand Prix and British Grand Prix cost them valuable wins, and it’s something that former mechanic Marc Priestley pointed out that they’re still relearning.
“McLaren are kind of still finding their feet in that regard. They’re still learning how to win again and it seems a strange thing to say but it’s true.
“You have to build the confidence to be able to make those snap decisions. If you look back over this season, there have been quite a few occurrences where McLaren have probably, if they’re honest, left points on the table because they maybe hesitated in terms of making a decision.
“I can think back to Canada when a Safety Car came out and they had that split-second call. They let Lando go past the pit entry and ultimately, it cost him.”
Why McLaren need to learn from strategy blunders for 2025
With 23 races of various strategy calls under their belt, McLaren should be able to investigate and deploy their learnings from the winter to their 2025 campaign.
It could be their last opportunity to win again for a long time, with a change in technical regulations coming in 2026.
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It’s the sort of adjustment which completely shakes the field up and could leave the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari and Mercedes ahead of them again.
Max Verstappen will be desperate to match the record for the most consecutive drivers’ championships with five, so expect Red Bull to be a formidable force still.
Especially if the Milton Keynes-based outfit signs a more reliable second driver than Sergio Perez, they will be a far bigger threat to both crowns.
